


Flawed Mirrors

by orphan_account



Category: Dirk Gently (TV), Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Oneshot, Post Reichenbach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-17
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-10 00:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/460179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Watson's pretty sure, by this point, that somebody Up There is having a right old laugh, and that the joke's on him.<br/>Macduff, on the other hand, accepted that reality quite a while ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flawed Mirrors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IrisMoonstone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrisMoonstone/gifts).



Call him paranoid if you like, but John Watson was sure that he was being followed. The strange man with the insanely curly hair and the rather ugly hat had been around a dozen meters behind him for the past 20 minutes. John had tried to shake him off a couple of times, half-heartedly, but to no avail.

He turned to glance over his shoulder at his follower, who smiled and waved cheerily at him. John turned back again quickly, scowling and clenching his jaw. Mycroft had _no right,_ the prat, _no right_ to be setting his little minions on him. Not after everything the elder - the only surviving - Holmes had done. John steeled himself and ducked into a nearby alleyway.

He waited, just inside, hidden in the shadows. Soon enough the other man poked his head around the corner, giving out a muffled yelp as John grabbed him, pulling him deeper into the shadows and slamming him up against the wall.

"Are you following me?" he demanded, eyes blazing. He'd been empty and lonely for _months_ after the fall, but now he was just _angry._ Angry at Moriarty, angry at Mycroft, angry at _himself..._

"Uh... yes. Hi!" the current object of his fury replied, a touch nervously.

John ground his teeth and took a couple of calming breaths. They didn't help in any way at all. "I... you know what? Fine. Just tell Mycroft to stop sending his lackeys to spy on me! He has _no right,_ not any more. Sherlock's... Sherlock's..." Here his voice broke a little, but he managed to recover himself. "He's _dead,_ and I can take care of myself. I'm hardly going to start leaking State secrets, am I? So tell him from me to sod off, got it?"

The man nodded frantically. "Yes! Fine, fine." John nodded stiffly, moving away. "But, uh... who exactly is Mycroft?"

John turned, confused. "You're not with Mycroft? Then why were you following me?"

The man perked up immediately. "Ah," he started enthusiastically, grinning crookedly and running a hand through his hair. "You see, I was using my new method of Zen Navigation," he told John. "Wherein if I ever get lost, I merely find someone who looks as if they know where they're going and follow _them._ I usually end up somewhere I need to be," he finished, grinning.

John shook his head and laughed quietly, shifting his weight on the hated cane. He'd nearly forgotten how strange his life could be, even without the criminal world trying to blow him and his flatmate up at every possible opportunity. He gazed speculatively at his stalker-for-the-day. "I... who _are_ you, anyway?" He wondered aloud.

The man dug around in his pockets and pulled out a rather old and dog-eared business card, which he handed to the doctor. "Dirk Gently, Holistic detective - the only one in the world. You see, my theory is that as all things are interconnected..."

In John's head, Dirk's voice faded quietly into the background as he remembered _"Afghanistan or Iraq?"_ and _Consulting detective; I invented the job."_ He wondered if someone Up There had a supply of insane and unique detectives that he enjoyed setting on John Watson one at a time.

He nodded and stuck out his free hand for Dirk to shake. "John Watson, Doctor," he offered, smiling wearily.

Gently took it, nodding. "Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Watson." He paused. "I don't suppose you've any detective work that needs doing?" he ventured. "It's just that mysteries have been a little scarce recently, and the police..."

"...Don't like you or your methods," he completed with a wry smile at the parallels the universe was drawing. "No, I'm afraid," he replied. "I've had enough mystery and intrigue for a lifetime, thanks."

Dirk looked interested. "Oh?" he replied. "How so?"

John winced as memories he'd previously pushed away were made fresh and raw. "I... uh... used to have a friend who was a detective," he admitted. "A genius, by all accounts, but so annoying and rude... most of the police hated him; he made them look like idiots."

Dirk nodded. "Sounds like an interesting type to have at parties."

John groaned, shaking his head fervently. _"God,_ no..." a thought struck him. "You don't have a... friend, do you?" he asked. "Business partner, maybe?"

"Dirk!" Came a yell, as a tall man in a heavy blue coat made his way toward them, exasperation and affection mingled on his face.

Dirk grinned. "MacDuff!" he called back in reply.

John smiled. So, _that_ was a 'yes' then.

MacDuff offered his hand to John. "Sorry if he's been bothering you, Mr...?"

"Watson, but call me John," he told him. "And don't worry, I've had an oddball detective of my own, I know what it's like. Even if Mr Gently _does_ follow people."

MacDuff groaned. "Oh, god, this again," he muttered. "Dirk, stop it with the 'Zen Navigation' thing, ok? It's just creepy and stalkerish." he turned back towards John. "Nice meeting you, Mr Watson, but I'll get him off your hands and back onto the case now," he promised him, steering Dirk away towards the street.

"Good luck with the case!" he called after them, then smiled as he watched the pair move away, bickering goodtemperedly. He turned away, shaking his head as he mused on the patterns life can form, and continued down the road with a new spring in his step and a fresh hope for the future.


End file.
